Intonation of Harmonic Intervals: Adaptability of Expert Musicians to Equal Temperament and Just Intonation

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 383-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhard Kopiez
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Just Intonation ◽  
Experimental Paradigm ◽  
Professional Musicians ◽  
Average Deviation ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
Nonsignificant Difference ◽  
Tuning Systems

This study examines the deviation in the intonation of simultaneously sounding tones under the condition of an embedded melody task. Two professional musicians (trumpet players) were chosen as subjects to play the missing upper voice of a four-part audio example, while listening via headphones to the remaining three parts in adaptive five-limit just intonation and equal temperament. The experimental paradigm was that of a controlled varied condition with a 2 (tuning systems) ×× 5 (interval categories) ×× 5 (renditions) ×× 2 (players) factorial design. An analysis of variance showed a nonsignificant difference between the average deviation of harmonic intonation in the two systems used. Mean deviations of 4.9 cents (SD = 6.5 cents) in the equal-temperament condition and of 6.7 cents (SD = 8.1 cents) in the just-intonation condition were found. Thus, we assume that the musicians employed the same intonation for equaltemperament and just-intonation versions (an unconscious "always the same" strategy) and could not successfully adapt their performances to the just-intonation tuning system. Fewer deviations could be observed in the equal-temperament condition. This overall tendency can be interpreted as a "burn in" effect and is probably the consequence of longterm intonation practice with equal-temperament. Finally, a theoretical model of intonation is developed by use of factor analysis. Four factors that determine intonation patterns were revealed: the "major third factor," the "minor third and partials factor," the "instrumental tuning factor," and the "octave-minor seventh factor." To summarize, even in expert musicians, intonation is not determined by abstract tuning systems but is the result of an interaction among compositional features, the acoustics of the particular musical instrument, and deviation patterns in specific intervals.

scholarly journals The effect of piano accompaniment type and harmonic context on the tuning performance of college-level choral musicians

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tristan Frampton
Keyword(s):  
Just Intonation ◽  
College Level ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
Harmonic Context ◽  
Tuning Systems

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of piano accompaniment style on the intonation performance of college-level choral musicians. It was hypothesized that using a piano accompaniment comprised solely of referential tones (RT), as opposed to having all voice parts doubled by the piano (PD), would encourage more desirable intonation performance. Participants (N = 34) sang a researcher-composed melody harmonized with traditional Western functional harmony under both accompaniment conditions. Accompaniment type was not found to have a significant effect on the tuning performance of target intervals, but harmonic context did significantly affect the singers' intonation. Most notably, intonation of major 3rds in the I and IV chords closely approximated just intonation, regardless of accompaniment type. In the context of the V chord, performances more closely approximated the high Pythagorean 3rd, which was attributed to a tendency to heighten the leading tone. When comparing intonation performance to the just intonation, equal temperament, and Pythagorean tuning systems, results indicated that performances did not conform perfectly to any one tuning system, supporting the conclusion that the singers' intonation performance was dependent on harmonic context.

Factor Structure of the K-ABC for Cantonese, English, and Punjabi Speaking Canadians

1988 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-59
Author(s):  
Joanne M. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analysis ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Assessment Battery ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

The purpose of this study was to examine the construct validity (internal structure) of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) for use with Cantonese, English, and Punjabi speaking Canadians. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the sequential/simultaneous theoretical model was supported by the English and Punjabi data: however, the Cantonese data did not exhibit a good fit with this model. Similarly, the results of the exploratory factor analysis suggested that sequential and simultaneous factors could apply when describing the factor structure of the English and Punjabi data, but not for the Cantonese data. Implications of these findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The development of an instrument for measuring organisational inertia

1998 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Kinnear ◽  
G. Roodt
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Measuring Instrument ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives

This study had a dual purpose: firstly, to integrate the wide variety of seemingly diverse theoretical perspectives of various theorists with respect to organisational inertia into a single umbrella theoretical model. Secondly, to develop a measuring instrument that is based on the aforesaid theoretical model. The instrument was completed by 617 respondents in various industrial sectors undergoing transformation. Responses obtained on the 109 items were then subjected to a factor analysis and the two scales obtained were subjected to further iterative item analyses. Results indicate that organisational inertia is a oneimensional construct. The implications of these findings are further discussed. Opsomming Die doel van hierdie studie was tweeledig, naamlik om in die eerste plek, die groot verskeidenheid van oënskynlik ulteenlopende teoretiese perspektiewe van verskillende teoretici rakende organisatoriese traagheid in 'n enkele sambreelmodel te integreer. Tweedens om 'n meetinstrument te ontwikkel wat op die voorgenoemde teoretiese model gebaseer is. Die instrument is deur 617 proefpersone ingevul/ in verskeie bedryfsektore wat tans transformasie ondergaan. Response op 109 items is hierna aan 'n faktorontledmg onderwerp en die twee verkree skale is aan verdere iteratiewe-itemontledings onderwerp. Resultate dui daarop dat organisatoriese traagheid 'n eendimensionele konstruk is. Die implikasies van die bevindinge word verder bespreek.

scholarly journals Articulatory motor planning and timbral idiosyncrasies as underlying mechanisms of instrument-specific absolute pitch in expert musicians

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. e0247136
Author(s):  
Niels Chr. Hansen ◽  
Lindsey Reymore
Keyword(s):  
Motor Planning ◽  
Mechanistic Explanation ◽  
Absolute Pitch ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Professional Musicians ◽  
Instrument Type ◽  
External Reference ◽  
Intense Training ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

The study of musical expertise illustrates how intense training in a specialized domain may instigate development of implicit skills. While absolute pitch, or the ability to identify musical pitches without external reference, is rare even in professional musicians and is understood to have a genetic component, anecdotal evidence and pilot data suggest that some musicians without traditional absolute pitch are nonetheless better able to name notes played on their musical instrument of expertise than notes played on less familiar instruments. We have previously termed this particular gain in absolute pitch identification ability “instrument-specific absolute pitch” (ISAP) and have proposed that this skill is related to learned instrument type-specific timbral and intonational idiosyncrasies and articulatory motor planning activated by the timbre of the instrument. In this Registered Report Protocol, we describe two experiments designed to investigate ISAP in professional oboists. Experiment 1 tests for ISAP ability by comparing oboists’ pitch identification accuracies for notes played on the oboe and on the piano. A subset of the participants from Experiment 1 who demonstrate this ability will be recruited for Experiment 2; the purpose of Experiment 2 is to test hypotheses concerning a mechanistic explanation for ISAP. The outcome of these experiments may provide support for the theory that some individuals have ISAP and that the underlying mechanisms of this ability may rely on the perception of subtle timbral/intonational idiosyncrasies and on articulatory motor planning developed through intensive long-term training. In general, this work will contribute to the understanding of specialized expertise, specifically of implicit abilities and biases that are not addressed directly in training, but that may yet develop through practice of a related skill set.

A Computer-Based Training Program for Developing Harmonic Intonation Discrimination Skill

1992 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce F. Dalby
Keyword(s):  
Training Program ◽  
Matched Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Music Majors ◽  
Just Intonation ◽  
Computer Based Training ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Experimental Subjects ◽  
Experimental Group

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a computer-based training program for improving students' ability to make judgments of harmonic intonation. Twenty members of two undergraduate conducting classes participated in the Harmonic Intonation Training Program (HITP). An equivalent matched control group was selected from 156 other undergraduate music majors who had also taken the investigator-developed Harmonic Intonation Discrimination Test (HIDT). The HITP consisted of a body of drill-and-prac-tice exercises using intervals, triads, and brief three- and four-part musical passages. The exercises were played in both equal temperament and just intonation by a 16-voice digital synthesizer. After a 9-week treatment period, a two-way ANOVA on posttest HIDT scores revealed a difference (p= .005) in favor of the experimental group. Results of a questionnaire administered after the training to the experimental subjects indicated that attitudes toward the training program were mostly positive.

Bruxism Related to Violin Playing

2008 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-15
Author(s):  
F J Rodríguez Lozano ◽  
M R Sáez Yuguero ◽  
A Bermejo Fenoll
Keyword(s):  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Signs And Symptoms ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Health Education Program ◽  
Professional Musicians ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Clinical Phenomenon ◽  
Violin Playing ◽  
Random Control

The violinist's profession involves situations of stress and tension, and bruxism is a clinical phenomenon that is occurring among these musicians with increasing frequency. Materials and Methods: We studied a group of 41 violinists from the region of Murcia in Spain, who completed clinical questionnaires designed to detect bruxism. The results were compared with those from a random control group who did not play any musical instrument. The SPSS 13.0 software package was used for statistical analysis. Evaluations were done with Pearson's chi-squared test. Results: In the study group, 73% were diagnosed with bruxism, whereas in the control group, only 34% suffered from this complaint. We found a statistically significant relationship (p<0.05) between violinists and the parafunctional bruxism habit. Conclusions: It could be said that violin playing can be a factor that predisposes or triggers the appearance of signs and symptoms of bruxism. It is necessary to establish a health education program and preventive measures for professional musicians in order to avoid the development or worsening of bruxism and related problems.

Eight Artist-Level Violinists Performing Unaccompanied Bach: Are There Consistent Tuning Patterns?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Geringer
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
Tuning Systems

This study was designed to explore the intonation performances of highly regarded concert violinists in an unaccompanied context. I chose eight solo artists representing different generations of performers (Heifetz, Grumiaux, Milstein, Perlman, Hahn, Midori, Barton Pine, and Shaham). Pitch performances were analyzed in commercial recordings spanning 65 years of two unaccompanied pieces composed by Bach, one in d minor and one in E major. I investigated whether similarities in intonation tendencies would occur among these respected artists, and whether the displayed patterns would approximate the theoretical tuning systems that have been studied previously: Just, Pythagorean, or equal temperament. The artists appear to have their own individual tendencies, and none of them conformed consistently to any theoretical tuning system. Although there are average tendencies on isolated intervals that approximate one tuning or the other, multiple repetitions show a wide range both between and within individual performers. However, performances of the thirds and sixths in the major key and less so in the minor key (intervals that illustrate the largest differences in tuning between systems) did display a propensity toward Pythagorean tuning of these scale degrees. Deviations away from all three tuning systems are common, and these artists never play exactly in one tuning or another.

Literature, Music, and Science in Nineteenth Century Russian Culture: Prince Odoyevskiy’s Quest for a Natural Enharmonic Scale

2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitri Bayuk
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Short Stories ◽  
Musical Instrument ◽  
Experimental Science ◽  
Musical Culture ◽  
Musical Scale ◽  
Russian Music ◽  
Positive Science ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
And Mathematics

ArgumentAn attempt to understand and analyze a unique nineteenth-century musical instrument – the enharmonic piano from the collection of the Glinka Museum of Russian Musical Culture in Moscow – directs a historian towards Prince Vladimir Odoyevskiy’s efforts to construct a special musical scale corresponding to the indigenous tradition of Russian music. Known today mostly as an author of Romantic short stories, Odoyevskiy was also an amateur scientist and musician, a follower of Schelling’s Naturphilosophie, and a mystic. He tried to design his new musical scale and instruments on the basis of experimental science and mathematics. Odoyevskiy’s life-long search for a synthesis of literature, music, positive science, and spirituality demonstrates how the adaptation and appropriation of European arts preceded and paved the way towards the appropriation of European sciences among the educated élite in nineteenth-century Russia. The tensions inherent in the process led to Odoyevskiy’s nationalist rebellion against the European musical standard, the equal temperament. His call for a different musical scale remained largely ignored in the nineteenth century, until the topic was raised anew by twentieth-century composers and musicians.

scholarly journals The theory of the division of the octave, and the practic treatment of the musical systems thus obtained. Revise version of a paper entitled 'on just intonation in music with a description of a new instrument for the easy control systems of tuning other than the equal temperament of 1 divisions in the octave

1875 ◽  
Vol 23 (156-163) ◽  
pp. 390-408
Keyword(s):  
Control Systems ◽  
Royal Society ◽  
Just Intonation ◽  
New Instrument ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
Musical Systems ◽  
Revise Version

The mode of expressing Intervals . In the original paper presented by the writer to the Royal Society logarithms were employed as the measure of intervals, as they have been commonly employed by others. Great advantages have been found, however, to result from the adoption of the equal temperament (E. T.) mitone, which is 1/12 of an octave, as the unit of interval. It is the unit most familiar to musicians, and has been found to admit of the expression of the theory of cyclical systems by means of formulæ of the simplest character. The writer therefore devised the following rules for the transformation of ratios into E. T. semitones and vice versâ , and subsequently found that De Morgan had given rules for the same purpose which are substantially the same (Camb. Phil. Trans, vol. x. p. 129). The rules obviously depend on the form of log 2. The form of the first e affords a little more accuracy than De Morgan’s.

Comma 32 805/32 768

1998 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 295-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ján Haluška
Keyword(s):  
Just Intonation ◽  
Equal Temperament ◽  
The One

We find a fifth approximation of the Just Intonation which generalizes Equal Temperament. The intervals causing a dilemma are the second and the minor seventh and the tritone because they are unambiguous in Just Intonation (the relative frequencies 10/9, 9/8, 8/7 and 7/4, 16/9, 18/10 and 45/32, 64/45, respectively). If we do not consider the second and seventh with the relative frequencies 8/7 and 7/4, respectively, all the music intervals in this approximation either coincide with he Just Intonation interval values (the octave, fifth, fourth, second (9/8) and the minor seventh (16/9)) or are exactly the one comma distant from the corresponding Just Intonation intervals. This comma is 32 805/32 768 ≈ 1.00112915, which is less than the ratio of frequencies of the perfect and the equal tempered fifths (≈ 1.00112989).

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